When “Rural” Rules
Sycamore Rural Telephone Takes Back Its Community Most people access the Internet multiple times a day from their smartphone, tablets, or laptop without even thinking about it. Businesses download invoices and contracts sent through email. Students participate in video lectures for advanced classes not offered at their high school. Parents email the latest baby photos to proud grandparents. And most people even order pizzas online to be delivered to their door. But many businesses and residents of rural towns across the United States are unable to do the tasks that most of us take for granted. Without broadband Internet, it’s a challenge to operate a successful business, obtain a top-notch education and stay connected with friends and family. The Challenge Sycamore Telephone Company, a full service telecommunications company in Northern Ohio, currently provides residential and business communication services to Seneca, Wyandot, and Crawford counties in rural Ohio. Founded in 1896, it is a family-owned and operated telco that puts customer service as a top priority. It is so loyal that it has become an institution to the local community because of its dedication to providing the best services available to its customers. It also has a strong reputation because its leaders have embraced technological advances in the telecommunications industry throughout the past century. 
Josh, Rick, and Andy of the Sycamore Telephone Company. In recent years, the telco began receiving complaints due to slow Internet speeds. With the lack of connectivity, customers began cancelling service in favor of companies that could provide speeds capable of supporting next generation technology. Most Sycamore subscribers were only able to access their broadband service at 768k and the fastest speed available was 3 Mbps. Sycamore’s aging copper network was simply not capable of supporting the bandwidth required for everyday tasks. From the inability to turn towards the Internet for entertainment or just being able to surf the web for the latest news, the local community was having difficulty keeping up with the times. Students were plagued with the inability to research term papers or use the interactive tools often associated with online classes. Sycamore’s network wasn’t able to support these services, leaving residents at a disadvantage. Even the local library, which is right across the street from Sycamore’s headquarters and a longtime customer of the company, suffered. As a result, the library reluctantly dropped service because a competing carrier was better able to meet their connectivity needs. Read the rest of the article here